IRIA News

French President Emmanuel Macron traveled to Central Asia on a strategic visit to strengthen ties. Macron visited Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan seeking rare earth material trade and nuclear energy deals.

Macron started his Central Asian tour from Kazakhstan on November 1, 2023, where he met with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. During the meeting, the two leaders signed a number of agreements covering economic sectors, including critical minerals vital for clean energy technologies, pharmaceuticals, and aerospace.

“The strength [of our partnership] demonstrates the good strategic direction that has been taken, and the need to complement and accelerate it,” Macron said during a joint news conference with the Kazakh President in Astana.

🇰🇿🇫🇷 President of France @EmmanuelMacron , who is on an official visit to #Kazakhstan, was greeted at the #Akorda residence.

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Emmanuel Macron introduced the members of the delegations. The Head of the Honor Guard gave a welcome report to the leaders,… pic.twitter.com/Ji2OGCSDbl

— President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s Press Office (@aqorda_press) November 1, 2023

Tokayev called France a “key and reliable partner” in the European Union and said he would seek to give the partnership “extra impetus”.

Joint declaration on strategic minerals

During their bilateral meeting in Astana, the two presidents signed a joint declaration of intent on cooperation on strategic minerals. They also signed an agreement on the establishment and operation of the French Development Agency Group in Kazakhstan, a contract on a joint venture for a project to build wind power plants, and an investment agreement on the production and maintenance of railway locomotives and other equipment in Kazakhstan.

Tokayev emphasized the importance of implementing new projects in the raw materials, agricultural, transport, logistics, healthcare, innovation, finance, and light industries, especially amid the complicated geopolitical and geo-economic situation.

Kazakhstan President Tokayev noted that more than 170 French companies are successfully operating in Kazakhstan, including Alstom, Total Energies, Orano, and Vicat.

France is the fifth-biggest foreign investor in Kazakhstan and the longstanding relationship includes the massive Kashagan offshore oilfield project partnered with French energy giant Total Energies, as well as a uranium mine run by French company Orano, the head of which was among Macron’s delegation.

For a significant part of recent history, France relied on its African colonies, especially Niger, to acquire uranium for its nuclear energy production. However, the deteriorating security conditions and political turmoil have forced Paris to seek alternative options.

Visit to Uzbekistan

After concluding his fairly successful trip in Kazakhstan, Macron headed to the neighboring Uzbekistan where he met with the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev in the historical city of Samarkand.

A statement released by the Uzbek Presidency said: “Upon arrival in our country on an official visit, the President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron, accompanied by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, took a walk through the night in Samarkand.” The two presidents visited the Registan Square and the Silk Road Samarkand tourist complex.

À Samarcande, accompagné par de nombreuses entreprises françaises, je suis venu témoigner du potentiel de coopération entre nos pays.

Nos relations économiques avec l’Ouzbékistan connaissent un véritable essor. Aujourd’hui nous les ancrons dans le temps. pic.twitter.com/7zc1AyFCl1

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) November 2, 2023

During their meeting, the two leaders discussed projects related to agriculture and nuclear energy. Macron announced that France’s dairy giant Lactalis is set to build a plant in the Uzbek city of Namangan. He also unveiled a proposal by Semmaris to build a network of agricultural logistics centers in Uzbekistan.           

“We have agreed with the President, to build a strategic partnership,” Macron said without elaborating on the term “strategic”, which is usually reserved for the highest level of partnership with another country.

Russia’s backyard

Traditionally influenced by Moscow, the Central Asian region has recently pulled away from the Kremlin to develop a more independent foreign policy. Leaders of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have pursued steps to establish strong strategic partnerships with Western countries.

Kazakhstan is supplying crude oil to European nations that refused to buy Russian oil. At the same time, China has also forged strong links in the Central Asian region through its Belt and Road projects. Beijing has made huge investments in infrastructure development, especially energy projects, in the Central Asian countries.  The region provides an important link in Beijing’s China-Europe trade route that bypasses Russia.